Narita Airport: the last holdouts

The "Narita Airport conflict," better known as the Sanrizuka Struggle (三里塚闘争), stands as one of the most turbulent confrontations in Japan's post-war history. It erupted in 1968, when farmers from the Sanrizuka area—joined by student activists and members of the political left—rose against the government's unilateral decision to build Tokyo's new international airport on their farmland. The plan had been imposed without consultation, igniting deep resentment among locals who viewed it as a direct attack on their land, livelihoods, and sense of community. What began as a peaceful protest soon descended into violence. The countryside around Narita became a battleground, as demonstrators and riot police clashed in a series of fierce confrontations that left many wounded and several dead. The escalating conflict dragged on for more than a decade, delaying construction and transforming a national infrastructure project into a symbol of state overreach and rural resistance. When Narita Airport finally opened in 1978, it did so under tight security and amid lingering anger. Even now, traces of that defiance remain visible: a few farming families continue to cultivate their fields within the airport's perimeter—living witnesses to a long, bitter struggle and to the enduring resolve of Japan's countryside to stand its ground.

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thomas said:

Kyodo News features Kinone Pension (木の根ペンション), the last holdouts in a grassroots struggle against expropriation that started in the late 1960s. It is one of the world's most unique dance floors, but its days may now be numbered.

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thomas said:

No, that's the result of multitasking and haste. I've rephrased it.

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